Four-way vacuum-pump.



P. I. BURKS.

FOUR-WAY VACUUM PUMP.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. I9, |915. 1 ,21 9,242. Patented-Mar. 13, 1917.

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P. l. BURKS.'

FOUR-WAY VACUUM PUMP.

APPLICATION man APR.19. 191s.

Patented Mar. 18, 1917 Il Q\ 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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@vi/tungen yf@ UITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL I. BURKS, F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

FOUR-WAY 'VACUUM-PUMP.

Application filed April 19, 1915.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, PAUL I. BURKs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Four-Way Vacuum- Pumps, of which the following is a. speciication.

This invention relates to pneumatic piano player mechanism, and has particular reference to an improved vacuum pump for controlling the exhaust chamber of the mechanism.

An object of this invention is to provide a pump which produces practically a continuous suction upon the exhaust chamber, and to provide the pump with a novel automatic flushing means controllable from the tracker' bar.

Another object of this invention is to provide a vacuum pump with a flushing valve at one side thereof, and a pneumatic on the pump communicating therewith and having connection with the liushing valve, and to provide a valve between the pneumatic and the pump controlled from the tracker bar for establishing communication between the pneumatic and the pump to open the iushing valve, or between the pneumatic and the outside atmosphere to close the iushing y valve.

The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will more particularly appear from the following detail disclosure of the present embodiment of the invention, the same beingillustrated in th accompanying drawings Wherein,--

Figure 1 is a side'elevation of the improved vacuum pump.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the pump, parts of the same being shown in elevation.`

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1 showing the controlling means for the iushingvalve.

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section of the pump on the line 4 4 ofv Fig. 2, looking toward the central portion of the pump.

Referring to these drawings wherein like parts are designated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views, 10 designates the frame or casing of the pump which is rectangular in cross-section, and which is provided with a main channel 11 extending entirely around the casing and having an opening 12 adapted for connec- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. r3, 1917.

seria 1ro-22.3.76.

tion with the exhaust chamber of a pneumaticplayer mechanism.

lVithin the casing 10, and at each side thereof is secured a bellows, the base 13 of which is provided with an opening 14 communicating with the main channel 11 in the casing. The base 13 is provided with a iiap valve 15 controlling the opening 14 to prevent the inflow of air to the main channel 11. The movable section or leaf. 16 of the bellows is preferably provided with a plurality of openings 17 through which air is adapted to be expelled upon the collapsing of the bellows, and which are adapted to be closed by a flap valve 18 secured to the outer side of theleaf 16 and adapted to automatically close on the expansion ofthe bellows. The frame 10 is thus provided with four bellows of this type.

A crank shaft 19 is mounted in the middle of the frame 10 'upon brackets 2() and has its crank portion connected to the movable sections 16 of the bellows by means of connecting rods 21; The connecting rods 21 may be of any suitable and adaptable form, the same in the present instance being disclosed as comprising split bars having sockets or recesses in their oppositeends for the reception of the crank portion of the shaft 19 and pins 22 respectively. The pins 22 ,are carried upon the movable sections 16 of 4the bellows. The rods 21 are tightened upon the crank shaft and the pins 22 by means Vof suitable set-screws 23, by means of which the clamping action may be adjusted. As shown in Fig. 1, the .crank shaft 19 is provided with a suitable drive wheel 241V adapted to receive a belt or the like from a suitable motor for driving the vacuum pump.

The casing 10 is provided at one side, the upper side being shown in the present instance, with a flushingopening 25 communicating directly with the main channel 11. A flushing valve 26 is hinged upon the side of the casing 10 and adapted to close the opening 25. The improved means for operating the flushing valve 26 to open and close the main channel 11 is shown in the present instance as comprising a block made up of four sections 27, 28, 29 and 30. This block is located adjacent to the flushing valve 26 and supports a pneumatic 31, the movable section of which has secured thereto an arm 32 connected by a pin 33 to the flushing valve 26. From Figs. 1 and 2 it will be readily seen that when the pneumatic 3l is collapsed the flushing valve 26 is open and when the pneumatic 31 is expanded the flushing valve 26 is closed.

llhe section 27 of the block is provided upon its inner side with a recess extending substantially the entire length et the block and providing a suction chamber 3a communicating by a passage 35 with the main channel 1l of the pump. The section 28 of the block is provided near one end with a recess closed at its open side by a diaphragm 36 forming an air receiving chamber 37 in the block 28. riEhe block 28 has a bleed opening 38 leading from the chamber 37 to the enhaust chamber 34e. A tube 39 leads from the chamber 37 to the tracker bar and is adapted to be closed upon the passage of the note sheet from the tracker bar, and to be opened as the note sheet has completed its playing operation.

The diaphragm 36 is provided with a stem l0 extending through the sections 29 and 30 and having its outer end supported in a suitable bracket il secured to the section 30. rlhe section 29 is provided with a suction chamber 42 opposite to the diaphragm 36, the suction chamber Ll2 extending laterally beyond the diaphragm and communicating through an o aening i3 in the block 2S with the exhaust chamber 3l. rlhe block 29 is provided in its opposite side with a valve chamber la communicating with the bellows 3l and containing a disk valve 45 adapted to close the opposite sides or' the valve chamber so as to cut oft communication et the pneumatic 3l with the main channel ll of the vacuum pump or the outside atmosphere through the section 30 as desired.

ln operation the crank shaft 19 is rotated in any suitable manner, and the bellows of the pump frame l() consecutively draw the air from the main channel ll and, as the main channel ll is in communication through the opening l2 with the exhaust chamber of the player mechanism, the pump creates a suction from the exhaust chamber. rlhis action takes place when the notesheet closes the opening in the tracker bar to which the tube 39 is connected, so that air cannot enter the tube or the chamber 37 and the pump exhausts the air from the chamber 37 through the bleed opening 38. As there is thus a suction in the chamber 37, the diaphragm 36 is collapsed and draws therewith the rod Ll0 to move the valve into position to close communication between the pneumatic 3l and the main channel ll. it the same time the valve lo opens the passage from the pneumatic 3l to the outside atmosphere through the section 30. rlhe flushing valve 26 is therefore permitted to close the flushing opening 25 so that the piunp must operate upon the exhaust chamber to draw the air therefrom.

lWhen the note sheet has entirely passed neiaaaa to establish communication between the bellows and the pump. W hen the valve is in this position the pump exhausts the bellows and collapses the same so as to move the flushing 'valve outwardly 'from the opening 25 and thus flush the main channel ll. By this arrangement ci' parts the flushing valv is in communication directly with the p ump, and the means for operating the flushing valve is immediately adjacent the same, so that the parts will respond quickly to the action of the note sheet so as to prevent the playing of the mechanism alter the not-esheet has left the tra-cker.

lhat is claimed isl. ln pneumatic player` mechanism the combination with a vacuum pump adapted for connection with the exhaust chamber of the mechanism. and a tracker-bar, of a flushing valve for the pump, and operating means for the flushing valve to open and close the saine controlled directly from the tracker bar oi' the mechanism.

2. ln pneumatic piano player mechanism, the combination with a vacuum pump and a tracker-bar, of a ilushing valve connnunicatd ing directly with the pump, a pneumatic connected to the flushing valve, and a valve on the pneumatic connected to the trackerbar and adapted to establish communication between the pneumatic and the pump for opening the flushing valve and to establish communication between the pneumatic and the atmosphere whereby to close the ushing valve.

3. ln pneumatic piano player mechanism, the combination with a vacuum pump and a. tracker-bar, ot a flushing valve communicating directly with the pump, a pneumatic connected to the ilushing valve, and means actuated from the tracker-bar connected to -W e the pneumatic and the pump and adapted to be operated to establish communication between the pneumatic and the pump whereby to open the flushing valve and adapted to be operated to establish communication between the pneumatic and the atmosphere whereby to permit the closing of the Hushing valve.

4l. ln pneumatic piano player mechanism, the combination with a vacuum pump and a tracker-bar, oi a flushing valve on the pump' and means controlled from the tracker-bar l ening the flushing valve by the suction et the pump.

5. ln pneumatic piano player mechanism all the combination with a vacuum pump and a tra cker-bar, of a flushing valve for the pump, a pneumatic connected to the valve, and means for the pneumatic controlled from the tracker-bar to place the pneumatic in communication with the pump to collapse the pneumatic and open the flushing-valve.

6. In pneumaticV piano player mechanism and in combination, a vacuum pump, a flushing valve for the pump, a pneumatic connected to the iiushing valve, a block supporting the pneumatic and having a chamber therein communicating with the pump, a diaphragm in said chamber dividing the same, a tracker bar controlled tube leading from one side of the diaphragm, a valve connected to the diaphragm adapted to control communication between the pneumatic and the pump, said diaphragm being adapted to vibrate whereby to open and close said valve with respect to the passage between the pneumatic and the pump.

7. In pneumatic piano player mechanism and in combination, a vacuum pump, a flushing valve on one side of said pump, a pneumatic connected to the valve, a block supporting the pneumatic and having a chamber therein communicating with the pump and having a flushing chamber therein, a diaphragm between said chambers in the block, and a valve in the block having connection with said diaphragmadapted to be moved thereby to open communication between the pneumatic and the pump whereby said pump is adapted to exhaust said pneumatic and collapse the same to open the flushing valve.

S. A vacuum pump comprising a casing having a channel therein, means for creating suction in said channel, and a iushing valve on said casing communicating with said channel and adapted to be opened by the suction in the channel, pneumatic means for opening and closing said flushing valve, actuating means for said pneumatic means, and means independent of said suction-creating means for controlling said actuating means.

9. In a pneumatic piano player mechanism, the combination with a vacuum pump, of a flushing valve communicating directly7 with the pump, a pneumatic connected to the flushing valve, and a second valve on the pneumatic adapted to establish communication between the pneumatic and the pump for opening the iushing valve, and to establish communication between the pneumatic and the atmosphere to close the flushing valve, and means independent of said vacuum pump for actuating said second valve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL I. BURKS. Witnesses:

DAYTON T. MITCHELL, JOHN O. ARNOLD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 4five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

